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Hi Maggie,
I agree that art, especially during the prehistoric time frame, was used to communicate life events, stories and lessons. Perhaps they held cultural significance as well, playing a part in rituals and other potentially spiritual activities. Thank you for your input.
Aubri,
I find it interesting that you think the sculptures depicting women were symbolistic of fertility and beauty found in curviness. I wonder if there is any other historical context from this time that supports this statement. I do agree with you that they were used as teaching tools. I can imagine that they were also used to tell stories, perhaps to children, to warn them and enlighten them much like the stories we tell today, ex. the boy who cried wolf, etc., are used today.
Representational imagery, I believe, was largely created to tell a story. We can speculate all day, every day on why these depictions were created, but in the simplest sense, it would be beneficial to view why we create these everyday representations of things from life today. This could be to tell a story, to create symbolism, or urge viewers to reflect on something from life. Language has never truly been universal, and while we can draw conclusions based on carved stone, manuscripts, etc., we will never truly know or understand the language they used in the stone, bronze and iron ages aside from the remaining objects left behind that we can then piece together to form our own narrative. Imagery, however, is arguably universal – for example, with the Woman of Willendorf, we have no issue today deciding that what is depicted is a woman. This argument can also be tied to the cave paintings, that they depict animals. I found it interesting that they found a child’s fingerprint on one of the other sculptures depicting a woman- it makes me wonder if this was created in the same fashion that dolls were created for today.
Hello,
I like both of your definitions – they are simple and to the point. You are right about art being used as a platform to document wars, among other things. In a way, pieces of art are history in itself. Art is definitely a way for artists to express themselves.
Thank you for your insight.
Celina BatchelderHi Allie!
I really like your educational goals! I’m like the opposite of you (I’m majoring in Bio and minoring in Art). Surrealism is one of my favorite styles as well, and I went through a big Salvador Dali phase a couple of years ago. I look forward to working with you this semester.
Hi Miranda,
I like your educational goals! I am actually working as a Mental Health Technician and it has changed my career goals, so it’s nice to meet someone who shares a similar interest. Explorations in art is such a fun class, especially with Lisa. I hope you have a great semester!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6H-0nrmNWhpiKBo-5FF8JU9xNN4VgmK/view
Hopefully this works; I look forward to the semester with you all.
What is art?
“Art is often considered the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions.” I disagree with this definition in that art isn’t necessarily something that is created to be appealing, and can often not be deliberate. I also think art can appeal to more than the senses and emotions.
An understanding of what art is is as unique as the creation of art is to each individual. Certainly, some definitions may parallel my specific definition of art better than others, but I think the point of art is catered to the person analyzing their own thoughts. I always like to think of Duchamp’s famous Fountain. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this piece, I encourage you to look it up. Some may argue that this piece is not art, but I disagree. Some get a rise out of this, suggesting there’s no way it’s art, without realizing that their emotionally gauged reaction resulting from this piece is part of the reason it exists, and is characteristic of art’s ability to give an emotional response. There are many forms of art that come from already manufactured items, such as Nam June Paik’s Electronic Highway, composed of old televisions stacked and juxtaposed with neon. Art is an outlet to express oneself, whether this be an emotion, a message, a depiction or an undetected, subconscious need to create.What is Art History?
Art History is an analysis of artistic styles and content from previous eras. Studying art from previous time periods allows us the opportunity to not only gather a historical context of human behavior, but grants the opportunity for the viewer to immerse themselves into a perspective they would not have otherwise known. Through examination and analysis, we can consider different ideas of how the human behavior has shaped into what it is today; whether this be through grotesque images of death and destruction, family dynamics, or what the creator saw as beauty or worthy of depiction.
